So just in case our engineering department has missed the fact that a significant joint crack has appeared in the middle of the road leading into and out of The Cutting on Mount Panorama, staff had better get their bitumen hotpot out ASAP to plug it otherwise we could see another surface failure on international television. 

Firstly, I find it astounding that resurface works valued at over $2 million would fail within six months. And now more cracks are evident within three years on joint lines of hot mix. 

If my memory serves me well, resurfacing is meant to last eight to 10 years, but it concerns me the latest resurface won’t last six years. 

I note cracking, too, has appeared on other sections of the Mount, especially where small sections were patched. 

Maybe council solicitors need to check out the warranty provided by the contractor as I doubt the Federal Government will cough up $2 million every five years or so to fix the work.

WHILE Eglinton Road has rightly hogged the headlines for substandard road reconstruction in the past few months, I’d suggest our engineers head out the Vale Road as the section from the Rocket Street intersection to Lloyds Road also needs significant reconstruction. 

I appreciate that this road has in the past carried thousands of heavy livestock movements when the saleyards were located at the Lloyds Road intersection, however, it would appear no reconstruction works have been completed since the saleyards relocated to Carcoar. 

Ah, that repairs list is getting bigger and bigger.

IT would not surprise me if the NSW Land and Environment Court hands down its appeal decision regarding Woollahra Council in the next few weeks or so now the majority of local government elections are out of the way.

That would then clear the way for a decision on the proposed Bathurst and Oberon merger. 

I note re-elected Orange mayor John Davis had a whinge, too, that the Cabonne-Orange amalgamation had placed his region behind other regions in its efforts to seek funding. It’s a point I agree with, as Bathurst and Oberon are being disadvantaged in the same way. 

It could be an interesting time at Bathurst Regional Council. I would not be surprised to see some of the top executive positions change on the merged Bathurst-Oberon entity.

Stability, they say, should not be confused with stagnation.

ORANGE mayor John Davis highlighting the point that councils waiting for court merger decisions are being disadvantaged by delays in funding applications.

HOLLOW joints appearing on The Cutting on Mount Panorama and other sections of patched repair from the 2013 $2 million resurfacing work.